Telework Allows 70 Percent Productivity at PTO During Sandy

Federal agencies were closed for two days as a result of Hurricane Sandy, but employees who hold telework agreements were required to work, provided they had power to do so. That was certainly the case at the Patent and Trademark Office, which is lauded for having a top-notch telework program. PTO Director David Kappos wrote that telework enabled PTO to operate during last week’s government shutdown with an average of more than 70 percent productivity. That percentage is a remarkable achievement, particularly given that many patent examiners could not participate due to widespread power outages, Kappos wrote.